Alone with Mr. Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation (26 page)

“Or Robin Hood’s men!” she chimed in.
“That was your favorite.”

“And I always said you should be Maid
Marian, but you wanted to be Will Scarlett.”

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Will
Scarlett sounded so much more interesting than Maid Marian, though I had
complete sympathy with her desire to run away from home.”

Yes, he had relished those games with her.
Why had she troubled herself so much to entertain an eight year old boy? And at
Curbar Edge of all places! His stomach lurched. There was no place near
Pemberley where it would be easier to stage a fatal accident than Curbar Edge.
Men had died there by stepping a little too close to the edge of the precipice.
But she had taken him to the base of Curbar Edge, not the dangerous top. If she
had been attempting to cause his death, she had thrown away an excellent
opportunity on many occasions.

His uncle must have been mistaken about
her motives. And that meant….

Abruptly, before he could convince himself
otherwise, he said, “If you wish to meet with Georgiana, I have no objection.”

She clapped her hands together and pressed
them to her chest. “I may? Truly?”

“I will call her now if you wish.”

Her eyes were suspiciously shiny. “Nothing
could make me happier.”

Elizabeth rose. “I will invite her to join
us.”

Darcy gave her a grateful look. Elizabeth
would know how to break the news to Georgiana.

Mrs. Dawley patted her hair, then wrung
her hands together. “What does Georgiana know of me?”

“She believed you dead until last summer
when she discovered the truth. I have said little but to confirm you are alive,
and that it was our father’s wish she have no contact with you.”

She looked away, her lips tightening. “I
will never forgive him for refusing to let me see her. No doubt he felt it
would be in her best interest, but I cannot but feel it was cruel to both of
us.”

Georgiana had said something similar, had
she not? “He never told me the reasoning for his decision.”

“I know nothing about her. I hope she will
not be disappointed in me. Will she think ill of me for not trying to make
contact sooner? Forgive me; I am babbling. I do so hope this goes well!”

Before he could think of an appropriate
rejoinder Elizabeth appeared in the doorway. Georgiana followed behind her,
holding her hand, her face ashen.

He stood and bowed, then experienced a
moment of panic. How did one introduce a woman to her grown daughter? Should he
say it was her mother?

Elizabeth once again saved him.
“Georgiana, dear, may I present Mrs. Dawley?”

Georgiana’s curtsey was jerky. “I am
pleased to make your acquaintance.” Her voice was just over a whisper.

Mrs. Dawley hurried towards her and
gripped Georgiana’s hand in hers. “Oh, my dearest girl!”

Then, as Georgiana began to cry, her
mother enveloped her into a warm embrace, tears streaming down her own cheeks.

Darcy swallowed hard. How much had his
sister missed over the years from thinking her mother dead? He had never seen
her sob like this, her shoulders heaving as she clung to Mrs. Dawley.

Elizabeth slipped her hand into his.
“Perhaps we should give them a little privacy.”

Leave Georgiana alone with his stepmother?
It went against every instinct he possessed. But could his instincts be
trusted? Looking down at Elizabeth’s fine eyes, he realized it did not matter.
Elizabeth’s
instincts could be trusted, and she thought they should leave.

And then he could finally be alone…with
his wife. His
wife
! What an absolutely delightful concept! Tonight he
would not have to restrain himself. His body suggested tonight could not
possibly come soon enough.

“Come.” He led her out of the private
parlor into the main room, where Richard jumped to his feet from one of the
benches by the fire.

Intercepting them, he tapped a rolled up
paper against his hand. “Finally!”

Darcy held up his hand. “Richard I will
tell you everything, but
later
.” He put his arm around Elizabeth with a
meaningful look at his cousin.

“Sorry; it will have to wait,” said
Richard. “We have a problem.”

His heart sank. “What is it
this
time?”

“Our dear cousin Anne has taken it into
her head to run off. No one knows where she has gone.”

Darcy groaned. “How did you discover
this?”

Richard flashed a grin. “An express for
both of us. I opened it since the barman said you were not to be interrupted.
Who were you speaking to?

“My stepmother,” said Darcy absently. “But
how could Anne run off?”

“
She
is here? Good God, Darcy, what
is the world coming to?”

“Never mind that. All is well with her.
Tell me about Anne.”

Richard shook his head in disbelief. “If
you say so. Apparently she had her trunk packed, ordered the carriage to take
her to the coaching inn, and got on the London stage. When Higgins asked her
where she was going, she told him it was not his place to question her.”

Darcy whistled. “Just like her mother.
What has your father done?”

“Nothing. He left Rosings shortly before
she did. I suspect that is why she chose that time.”

Damn Anne! It was his wedding day –
soon to be his wedding
night
– and the last thing in the world he
wanted to do was to chase after his foolhardy cousin. “Well, she
is
of
age.”

“Yes, but you were appointed her guardian,
and she has no knowledge of the world. Lord knows what manner of trouble she
has got into!” Richard scowled.

“Devil take it! Richard, this is my
wedding day!”

The lines of Richard’s face softened
slightly. “I know, and your family appears to be conspiring to ruin it for you.
I wish this could be put off until tomorrow.”

Elizabeth’s hand slipped through Darcy’s
arm. “It is no matter,” she said warmly. “We will have a great many other days
when we will be together. We are married, and no one can take that away.”

Except Mr. Bennet, if the marriage were
not consummated. Darcy intended to make absolutely certain to remove that
possibility as soon as he could, if his thrice-damned family would ever let
him.

“Very well,” said Darcy. “We will leave
after our meal. Crewe has arranged a wedding breakfast for all of us, and we
deserve at least that much of a wedding celebration.”

***

After making arrangements for their
departure, Darcy returned to the private parlor and found a tearstained but
radiant Georgiana sitting close beside Mrs. Dawley, their hands entwined. At
least that part of the day appeared to have been successful.

Mrs. Dawley looked up at him. “Thank you
so much. I cannot tell you how much this means to me. My beautiful little girl,
all grown up!” She touched Georgiana’s cheek. “It is so odd to see myself
reflected in you, my dear child, although I can see quite a bit of Will in you
as well!” She turned back to Darcy, her eyes frightened. “My apologies, Mr.
Darcy, it just slipped out. I will not allow it to happen again.”

To his astonishment, Darcy found himself
saying, “I do not object if you wish to call me Will, although it is
Fitzwilliam more often these days.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You are very kind.
Fitzwilliam was much too big of a name for a little boy, but it suits you now.”

He swallowed hard. “Indeed it is. While I
regret interrupting your reunion, the wedding breakfast is ready. Would you
care to join us? It is a very small party, but enough food for a regiment.” It
was only for Georgiana’s sake, of course.

Her brows came together in puzzlement.
“Wedding breakfast? Why, who has been married?”

Georgiana giggled. “Fitzwilliam and
Elizabeth. Just this morning.”

Darcy said, “You caught us on our way back
from the church.”

Her eyes widened. “Your wedding day? Oh, I
am so sorry! I would never have dreamed of interrupting such a special occasion
had I known! What must you think of me? I had not heard anything about a
wedding in the offing.”

From behind him, Elizabeth said, “That is
because we did not tell anyone. But I pray you, do join us.”

“Oh, yes, if it please you,” whispered
Georgiana.

The older woman smiled tremulously. “If
you are willing to include me, I would be more than happy to join you.”

***

It was an odd sort of wedding breakfast
with only four people plus the bride and groom, but Crewe had outdone himself
in making certain the finest foods were served. To Elizabeth’s surprise, Darcy
spoke openly about Anne’s disappearance and the need to leave for Rosings after
the meal despite Mrs. Dawley’s presence. Georgiana’s expression bespoke
particular disappointment at the news.

“Georgiana, Crewe will escort you back to
London with your maid,” said Darcy.

Georgiana took a deep breath, then said,
“May my mother come with me?”

Darcy glanced at Richard and chewed his
lip for a moment. “If you and she both wish it, I have no objection if she
joins you in the carriage.”

“Oh, I do wish it! Thank you!” Georgiana
rushed to hug her bemused-looking brother.

Mrs. Dawley spoke quietly to Elizabeth. “I
cannot tell you how happy I am that Will is taking this so well. I was terribly
afraid he would refuse even to speak to me. Until today, I never understood why
he had taken such a sudden dislike to me as a child, but it was very painful.
Even as a young child, he was very special. You are a fortunate woman.”

Then Georgiana was back by her mother’s
side and the opportunity for private conversation ended.

After letting Charlotte off at the
parsonage, the carriage arrived at Rosings shortly before dark. A footman
opened the door immediately, with Higgins just inside.

“Has Miss de Bourgh returned?” Darcy
stripped off one glove, then the other.

“No, sir.” Higgins cleared his throat.

“What has been done to discover her whereabouts?”

Higgins took a step back. “Sir, it is not
my place to question the doings of my betters.”

Richard snorted and strode past the
butler. “Who saw her before she left?”

“Her maid, and the coachman who took her
to the posting inn.”

“What of her companion, Miss Holmes?”

“Miss Holmes went with Miss de Bourgh.”

“Well, thank heavens for that!” said
Richard. “Hopefully Miss Holmes has more sense than Anne does.”

Darcy dropped his gloves on the tray.
“Have her maid brought to the sitting room directly. I will be there as soon as
I have shown Mrs. Darcy to our rooms. You must send someone to the parsonage
for her belongings.”

“Mrs. Darcy?” said Higgins skeptically,
looking from Darcy to Elizabeth and back.

“Mrs. Darcy,” he said firmly.

***

“Miss de Bourgh’s maid, sir.” A footman
ushered in a woman of middle years.

“You wished to see me, sir?” Her hands
clutched at her skirt even after she curtsied.

“Yes. I wish to know everything that
happened yesterday leading up to Miss de Bourgh’s departure.”

“There was not much, sir. Everything
seemed just as usual until breakfast arrived. She had it in her rooms, just
like always, but this time she told me to have her trunk fetched from the
attics. When the footmen brought it, she closed the door and told me to pack it.”

“Did she give you any instructions on what
to pack or how much?

“She pointed out which dresses should be
packed, then told me to add everything else she would need.”

Darcy willed himself to be patient. “How
many dresses did she choose?”

“Ten, sir. Five day dresses and five
evening gowns. And none of them were mourning dresses!” This seemed to shock
the maid more than the fact of her mistress’s disappearance.

So she intended to be away for an extended
period of time. “Did you notice anything unusual about her behavior?”

“She had been giggling with Miss Holmes
all the day before, and Miss Holmes seemed very excited. But Miss de Bourgh
usually sends me away when Miss Holmes is here except when it is time to dress
or do her hair, same as she did when I finished packing.”

Darcy found it difficult to imagine Anne
giggling. “Have you heard her speak about wishing to travel anywhere?”

“No, sir, but she would not speak to me of
such things.”

“Does she correspond with other ladies?”

“Just Lady Matlock and Miss Darcy, and
even those not very often.”

“Does she have friends? People who visit
her?”

The maid shook her head. “Not that I am
aware of, sir. We do not receive many callers at Rosings.”

That was hardly surprising. Lady Catherine
had managed to annoy all the neighbors enough she was rarely invited anywhere,
leaving her dependent on her parson for company. “Can you think of anything
else?”

“No, sir, except that Mr. Collins has
visited her every day since Lady Catherine’s accident, but she never spoke to
him for long.”

Collins. Could he know something? Was he
at the parsonage? Or might he be with Anne?

“Will there be anything else, sir?”

“No, you may go.”

No sooner had the maid departed than
Richard hurried in. “Any news?”

“Nothing.”

Richard rubbed his chin. “I do not
understand. Where would she go? And why would she leave no word?”

“I wish I knew. Did Mrs. Jenkinson tell
you anything?” The chaperone had made her own way back to Rosings Park on the
previous day after discovering Darcy’s plans to marry Elizabeth.

“She claims to know nothing. My impression
is Anne was not in the habit of confiding her.”

From what little he had seen of Mrs.
Jenkinson on their journey, Darcy was not surprised. “The question is what to
do next. Do we simply wait for Anne to return, or try to determine where she
may have gone?”

“Do we have a choice?”

Darcy passed his hand over his forehead.
“Not really, no.”

Perhaps Elizabeth would accompany him to
question Mr. Collins. Not that he needed any assistance; he just wanted to be
by her side.

***

They rejoined ranks just before dinner to
pool their knowledge. Richard stretched his legs out in front of him in a
manner he would never have used in front of Lady Catherine. “Miss Holmes’s
family knows nothing. She told them she would be staying with Anne for several
days. No one gave it a second thought under the circumstances. She has said
nothing about wishing to travel, nor anything in particular about Anne. Her
mother reports that some months ago she said someday Anne would surprise
everyone, but she would not elaborate on it. Did you find anything?”

Darcy shook his head. “None of the grooms
or stable boys knew anything of their destination. Two trunks were placed on
the stage, a large one belonging to Anne and a smaller one for Miss Holmes. No
one noticed any smaller bags suitable for an overnight stay in an inn,
suggesting either they are within a day’s travel or Anne did not know to pack a
second bag.”

“What of Collins? Did you find him?”

Elizabeth said with a smile, “Yes, and he
took a very long time to tell us nothing at all. He had not even realized she
had left. But, oh! The colors he turned when he discovered we were married! I
do not believe I have ever seen those colors on a human before.” She reached
out to take Darcy’s hand.

Richard frowned. “Anne seems to have gone
to some trouble to hide her tracks. There must be someone else who knows her.”

“There is her doctor, but he is in London.
It would be a long shot, but worth pursuing since we have nothing else.”

Richard nodded. “Assuming you are still
going to London tomorrow, perhaps you could find him. I will remain here in
case Anne returns.”

Darcy said, “It is hardly fair to leave
you cooling your heels here while we go to Town.”

Richard chuckled. “True, but you are
newlyweds, and you need to visit your lovely wife’s family to share the happy
news. I will be quite content exploring Lady Catherine’s wine cellars. I have
always suspected she had better vintages than she served to us. Besides, I
enjoy Mrs. Collins’s company. She is very restful.”

As Elizabeth gave Richard a grateful look,
Darcy said, “Very well. We will plan on that, then.”

Richard yawned ostentatiously. “I think I
shall retire now. It has been a long day.”

Darcy glanced at the clock. It was barely
eight o’clock, and Richard had always been a night owl. Then he saw his cousin
wink at him.

“An excellent idea,” said Elizabeth
demurely.

***

Darcy flexed his arms after Crewe remove his
fashionably tight topcoat. It was not what he would have chosen to travel in,
but no matter.

He dropped into low chair and stuck out his foot.
Crewe pulled at the boot expertly and it popped off immediately. Darcy
remembered how he had struggled to remove them in the cottage, and smiled. At
least in the cottage, no one had interrupted them, but now he would finally be
alone with Elizabeth again, and this time he would not have to stop. “Crewe?”

“Yes, sir?” The valet tugged off the second boot and
brushed off a bit of dirt.

“I do not wish to be disturbed by anyone tonight or
tomorrow morning unless the house is afire.”

Crewe’s lips tightened as he tried to hide a smile. “I
will make certain of it.”

“On second thought, not unless this wing of the house
is burning. The other wing can be reduced to cinders for all I care.”

“And the stables? What if they were afire?”

It was unheard of for Crewe to tease him, but Darcy
grinned. “Save Bucephalus, but do not disturb me. And Crewe?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Thank you for making all the arrangements for the
wedding.”

A broad smile crossed the valet’s face. “It was
entirely my pleasure, sir.”

***

In the next room, Elizabeth sat very still at the
vanity as Lady Catherine’s French maid removed her hairpins. When she picked up
the hairbrush, though, Elizabeth said, “I will brush it out myself, if you will
be so kind as to assist me with this dress. I have never worn anything with
quite so many buttons!”

Antoinette sniffed to show her displeasure at
Elizabeth’s lack of polish, or perhaps it was simply disapproval of her
position. Several of the Rosings staff seemed to be under the impression that
she had somehow stolen the position of Mrs. Darcy from its rightful owner.
Elizabeth hid a smile, thinking what Darcy would say if he knew. She herself
did not care; she would be leaving tomorrow and never see Antoinette again. But
she would still have him. A shiver of anticipation raced through her.

Her wedding night. It still did not seem real, not
without the weeks of preparation for a wedding she had always expected. In a
few minutes, her husband would arrive to consummate the marriage. It was
supposed to be the moment which would change her from a girl to a wife, but
their courtship had been so unusual that this seemed more like just one step in
the process. And if it was anything like what had happened in the cove, it
would be very interesting indeed!

She stepped out of her dress and allowed Antoinette to
unlace her stays, then dismissed her before she could assist with her
nightdress. It was just her plain everyday nightdress, no frills or lace, not
at all what the bride of Mr. Darcy would be expected to wear on her wedding
night. Somehow she did not think it would matter to him, though.

A knock on the connecting door sent her pulses racing.
Rising to her feet, she said, “Come in.”

Darcy was dressed in his shirtsleeves and a pair of
trousers, not the nightshirt she had expected. The draping linen revealed the
strong lines of his shoulders, making Elizabeth catch her breath.

After halting just inside the door, he moved forward
towards her slowly. He reached out a finger and entwined it in a loose curl.
“You leave me without words,” he said hoarsely.

Tilting her head to the side, she said archly, “Then
we must find activities which do not involve speaking.”

His eyes flared, growing darker than she had ever seen
them. Then he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. Pressing his head
against hers, he said, “I have been wanting to do this all day. I thought I
might run mad during that interminable carriage ride, having you so close to
me, yet unable to touch you.”

She decided not to mention how frequently his foot had
touched hers. “And now?”

“I still think I might run mad. Elizabeth, I do not
wish to frighten you, and I fear my passion for you may do so.”

She tilted her head and brushed her lips against his.
“My courage always rises with each attempt to intimidate me, and I am not
afraid. Somehow it seems easier for having shared a bed with you before.”

He nodded jerkily. “I feel the same. This afternoon I
realized I have felt as if we were married ever since the blizzard and today
only formalizes what already existed.”

Warmth filled her. She placed her palms against his
chest and stroked outwards towards his shoulders. “How I wished in the cottage
to do this, and now I may!”

Darcy sucked in a deep breath. “Whereas I wanted you
to unbutton my shirt and touch me. Though I suspect our story there would have
ended differently if you had done so!”

With an arch look, she undid the button on his shirt,
though her hands were not as steady as she wished. “Do you know, I almost
regret that it did not. It would have saved us so much trouble.”

He closed his eyes, but she could see his breathing
had quickened. Slowly she let his neck of his shirt fall open, and with what
was either courage or abandon, placed her hand over his heart. The roughness of
his skin against hers shot a powerful thrill straight through her.

His hand closed over hers, then he raised it to his
lips and kissed the center of her palm. “Next time. I fear for my self-control
if you continue now.” His lips moved in a circle around her palm, then up her
fingers where he scraped his teeth lightly along her sensitive fingertips.

Sensation flooded her, and without meaning to, she
swayed forward. Then his hands were tangling in her hair, drawing her face
closer until he captured her mouth with his in a kiss which seemed to break
through every barrier between them.

As she pressed herself against him, everything was
different. Before there had always been many layers of clothes separating them,
and now there was only light muslin. She could feel his body, the heat of it
and the hardness, and it made her legs tremble.